Analysis of temperature fluctuations in refrigerated trucks with eutectic phase change materials

Abstract

Cold chain management, a specialized type of supply chain management, includes various steps such as storage, transportation, and distribution under appropriate conditions to preserve the quality of perishable and temperature-sensitive products. In road refrigerated transportation, the delivery of products to consumers without loss of quality can be ensured by the use of refrigerated trucks, one of the main components of the cold chain. Mechanical refrigerated trucks utilize cooling units to maintain products at the desired temperature. The energy consumption of the cooling systems used in these trucks can be reduced by integrating suitable PCMs. In this study, a cooling system representing the cooling unit and container of a mechanical refrigerated truck used for fresh food transportation was tested in the temperature range of 4 ºC to 12 ºC both with and without PCMs. Eutectic PCMs prepared with different concentrations of inorganic salts: sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄), sodium chloride (NaCl), and potassium chloride (KCl) were integrated into the system. It was determined that the integration of PCMs reduced energy consumption and an energy saving of 34.38% was achieved through the integration of a solution containing 6.0 wt.% Na₂SO₄, 2.5 wt.% NaCl, and 3.0 wt.% KCl as an FDM. The system was tested with both sliced and unsliced fresh strawberries, with and without the most suitable PCM. It was found that quality loss in strawberries could be reduced with appropriate PCM. As a result, it was revealed that temperature fluctuations can be reduced with suitable PCM, thereby preventing the deterioration of fresh food products with low energy consumption.

Keywords

• Energy savings
• refrigerated trucks
• eutectic phase change materials
• cold chain

Project Number

1919B012413745

Frigorifik kamyonların sıcaklık dalgalanmalarının ötektik faz değiştiren malzemelerle incelenmesi

Abstract

Tedarik zincir yönetiminin özel bir türü olan soğuk zincir yönetimi, hassas ve sıcaklığa duyarlı ürünlerin kalitesinin bozulmadan uygun koşullarda depolama, taşıma ve dağıtım gibi çeşitli basamakları içermektedir. Karayolu soğutmalı taşımacılıkta ürünlerin tüketicilere kalite kaybı yaşamadan ulaşması soğuk zincirin temel ekipmanlarından biri olan frigorifik kamyonların kullanımı ile sağlanabilmektedir. Mekanik frigorifik kamyonlar soğutma üniteleri kullanarak istenilen sıcaklık değerlerinde ürünlerin muhafaza edilmesini sağlamaktadır. Bu kamyonlarda kullanılan soğutma sistemlerinin enerji tüketimi uygun FDM’lerin entegre edilmesi ile azaltılabilir. Bu çalışmada taze gıda taşımacılığında kullanılabilen bir mekanik frigorifik kamyonun soğutma ünitesini ve konteynerini temsil eden bir soğutma sistemi FDM’siz ve FDM’lerle 4 ºC ile 12 ºC sıcaklık aralığında test edilmiştir. Sisteme inorganik tuzlar olan sodyum sülfat (Na2SO4), sodyum klorür (NaCl) ve potasyum klorür (KCl) içeren ötektik FDM’ler, farklı konsantrasyonlarda hazırlanarak entegre edilmiştir. FDM entegrasyonu ile enerji tüketiminin azaltıldığı ve ağırlıkça (ağ.) %6,0 Na2SO4–ağ.%2,5 NaCl–ağ.%3,0 KCl çözeltisinin FDM olarak entegre edildiğinde %34,38 enerji tasarrufu sağlanıldığı tespit edilmiştir. Sistem FDM’siz ve en uygun FDM ile taze dilimlenmiş ve dilimlenmemiş çileklerle test edilmiş, çileklerde kalite kaybının uygun FDM ile azaltılabileceği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, sıcaklık dalgalanmalarının uygun FDM ile azaltılabileceği, dolayısıyla taze gıda ürünlerinin taşınması esnasında bozunmasının önüne düşük enerji tüketimiyle geçilebileceği ortaya konulmuştur.

Keywords

• Enerji tasarrufu
• frigorifik kamyonlar
• ötektik faz değiştiren malzemeler
• soğuk zincir

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK Bilim İnsanı Destek Programları Başkanlığı (BİDEB) tarafından yürütülen, 2209-A Üniversite Öğrencileri Araştırma Projeleri Destekleme Programı kapsamında çalışmamız desteklenmiştir.

Project Number

1919B012413745

Thanks

TÜBİTAK Bilim İnsanı Destek Programları Başkanlığı (BİDEB) tarafından yürütülen, 2209-A Üniversite Öğrencileri Araştırma Projeleri Destekleme Programı kapsamında çalışmamız desteklenmiştir (Proje No: 1919B012413745).

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